The Language of Flowers
by JapaneseDeer
Summary: Growing without much sunshine wouldn't be easy but she would have to try. Slow burner. [Kakashi x OC]


**A/N: **I've been itching to write a Naruto fanfic for quite sometime now, and I can only hope I can do Kishimoto's work and characters justice. I am publishing this to gauge if people would read it. Should it get any positive feedback than I shall continue it. Enjoy!

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**Hanakotoba**

**Chapter 1:**

**Summer**

It was difficult to understand as to why the Hokage would want him to retrieve a cat from a band of thieves. A genin team with their mentor would have sufficed, yet she requested him herself to do the task. She divulged very little information about his mission except for the fact that the feline was owned by a princess from _Hanagakure_, a hidden village in the outskirts of the Land of Fire.

Of course, he rescued the cat with ease and much haste. It wasn't was easy as he thought though. The feline was a monster. It scratched and bit him whenever it got the chance. By the time he returned to Konoha, his face and his arms were dotted with small wounds from the feral ball of fur. On more than one occasion, he was tempted to bring summon a few of his ninken to scare the poor cat bloody.

He held the little devil with as much poise as he can before knocking on the Hokage's door. When he heard her call him in, he twisted the knob and pushed the door open. The cat leapt down from his arms and seated itself beside the woman who was standing by the window behind Tsunade. The feline purred contentedly when the unknown woman picked her up and stroked her fur.

There was a certain tension in the air. The Fifth Hokage's brows were furrowed together, and her unnamed companion didn't seem to pleased either. Whatever it is that they were arguing about, things did not obviously go well on both sides. Before saying anything else, Tsunade let out a long sigh and resumed to her paperwork dutifully.

"Kakashi, this is Natsumi, the princess of _Hanagakure_," Tsunade gestured to the lady behind her."She will be staying with us to strengthen the bond between our villages. You shall be her guardian, her protector and her mentor during her stay here in Konoha."

Reading between the lines, it seemed that he had been assigned a new mission and a boring one at that. Surely, there were other ninjas far more suitable for this mission. He had better things to do, but he said none of it. Instead, he merely nodded in response.

Her lips remained pressed in a tight line. It seemed that the princess herself had no say at the decision that was presumably made by her father. Her eyes were faShe was not discreet with her displeasure, and rather than acknowledging him, she looked away.

The girl must have been no older than eighteen years old. She exuded pride and majesty. It was evident with the way she carried herself that she was no ordinary citizen but a lady of noble birth. Bathing in the iridescent glow of the sunlight, she looked otherworldly with her pale skin and her bright hair. Her, long peach-colored hair hung loosely on her shoulders and flowed freely down to her waist. They swayed slightly with the breath of the summer breeze.

"Natsumi, you should be pleased to know that the nin who would be guarding you would be Konoha's Copycat Ninja himself. Rest assured that he would be with you at all times to ensure your safety."

"How will he protect me when he cannot even protect himself from my little Bishamon?" She chided with a light laugh. "Nonetheless, thank you, Tsunade-sama. I'm sure Kakashi-san would do his best."

"I will, Natsumi-hime."

They arrived shortly at her new home. It was a small, yet beautiful shrine that seemed to be well maintained. Similar to her old home, the shrine was surrounded with tall cherry blossoms and plum blossoms. The _torii_ stood proudly on the entrance and the fountain, the offertory hall and worship hall showed almost no signs of usage. The place was homely, and she couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. This was home now, and Natsumi knew better than to sulk.

She removed her sandals gingerly and slid the door to her rom open. It wasn't as grand as she expected. The room contained a vanity, a full-body mirror and a queen sized bed with thick duvets. There were also two cabinets that housed all of her clothes and a bookshelf filled with her favorite reads. This was her room now, and she would force herself to like it.

It was her last day of being a princess of Hanagakure, and Natsumi couldn't help but admire her reflection for the first and the last time. She laid out her white _nemaki _on her bed and skillfully tugged at the _obijime _before untying her obi. Her kimono and _nagajuban _pooled at her waist, revealing more of her curves and her creamy, white skin. Tomorrow, it would not feel right to wear her ornate clothes or adorn her hair with gold, bejeweled _kanzashi_. This was her fate, and there was no changing it.

Wistfully, she folded her kimono and her obi and changed into her sleepwear.

She could hear Bishamon hissing outside and the Kakashi's attempts at taming her little lion. Natsumi decided to interfere before her little kitten honored him with another scar from his own paws.

As soon as Bishamon heard his master's footsteps fast approaching, he innocently curled up into a ball on the other side of the ninja.

The two of them sat in silence, basking under the glorious moonlight. They merely took turns drinking; no words were spoken between them. The next cup didn't go down as smoothly as she expected. Coughing a little, she covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Are you alright, Natsumi-hime?"

"There is no need to be formal, Kakashi-san. Calling me princess reminds me too much of home.."

There was a trace of bitterness in her voice, but this time, she didn't even try to hide it with a smile or with laughter. Once more, her lips were drawn into a straight line. Her eyes were glazed with warm tears, but she forced them not to fall.

She did not want to be in Konoha. She did not want to go to war. She didn't want to die for people she did not even know. She wanted to be back home in Hanagakure. She wanted to dance. She wanted to see her brothers one last time. Natsumi craved for freedom. Even in a foreign land, she knew she was tied to the ground. She was still an envoy for camaraderie, a princess and the daughter of the legendary Kimura Daiki.

"Is Konoha a nice place to die?"

"It's a nice place to live, Natsumi."

To that, she drank more. She couldn't recall how much she drank, and he couldn't recall how many times he refilled her cup that night. It was the first night in years that she had a dreamless sleep.


End file.
